The Vilnius County Police face new fraud cases on a daily basis. Phone calls, SMS messages, emails, even social media – these are just some of the channels fraudsters use to reach their victims. Despite various prevention campaigns being actively implemented, the statistics remain unforgiving – the number of people being deceived is not decreasing. This raises an important question: is prevention truly reaching those who need it most? This challenge was born out of a desire to look deeper, to understand why people trust fraudsters, even when they are educated, informed, or have heard about such scams before. We believe that technical safeguards alone are not enough. To change the situation, we must understand the human side – the psychology of decision-making, emotional influence, and social pressure. That’s why we are inviting students to join us in exploring these questions and helping to build a stronger foundation for real, effective prevention.

The goal of this challenge is to explore, through knowledge from various fields, the internal and external factors that influence people’s decisions to trust fraudsters. Students will have the opportunity to examine real-life cases, analyze the impact of emotions and information on decision-making, evaluate current prevention measures, and propose new, creative ideas focused on human behavior.

This challenge will give students the chance to gain practical research skills and deepen their understanding of psychology, communication, and methods used to influence human behavior. It is also a meaningful opportunity to contribute to solving a pressing societal issue, with outcomes that could be applied both locally and internationally. It’s an invitation not only to learn – but to make a difference.